Target range



E. L. DREYER TARGET RANGE Patented Sept. 24, 1940 TARGET RANGE Y y Everett Leslie Dreyer, Chicago, Ill., assignor to n A. B. T. Manufacturing Corp., Chicago, Ill., a

corporation of Illinois kApplication April 27, 1940, Serial No. 331,965

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This invention relates to amusement appara-'- tus and has as its principal object the provision Vofimprovenients in a target range wherein target elements are fed onto runways to gravitate variously across the aiming range and, when struck by a missile, are dislodged from Ythe runways and returned to a feeding mechanism which automatically restores the target members for reuse. n i

Viewed from another aspect, it is an important object of the invention to provide target apparatus especially suited for use with an air gun, although not restricted to such use, and to provide certain novelty effects in the movements of target members across the aiming range and in the collection and restoration of target elements which are dislodged by being struck.

A further and more particular object is the provision of an aiming range having a plurality of alternately inclined target runways and means for elevating target discs from a spent condition at the bottom of the runway system to a starting position at the top thereof, the discs being adapted tobe struck by pellets or missiles from an air gun or the like and dislodgedfrom the runway in a manner which lends a novel and attractive character to the device.

rStill another object is the provision of target elements in the form of rigid discs adapted to rollalong the runways and means'on therunways for eiectuating positive and vigorous movement of the target elements from the runways when struck as aforesaid. A

A still further object is the provision of means for collecting the discs after the same' are dislodged from the runways and stacking them to be picked up one at a time by an elevating or conveying device for restoration to starting position.

Other objects, advantages and novel aspects of the invention reside in certain details of construction as well as the cooperative relationship of the component partsof the illustrative embodiment described hereinafter in view of the annexed drawing, inI which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the shooting range;

Fig. 2 is a perspective of the target structure of the range;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section to enlarged scale of the target collecting and return means, along lines 3 3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional detail of the runway structure,-looking in' the direction of lines 4 4 of Fig. 2; Y

AFi'g. 54 is an enlarged vertical sectional detail ofthe disc feeding means and conveyor, taken along lines 5--5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is another vertical sectional detail of thev disc feeding structure looking in the direction of lines 6--6 of Fig. 5.

In its general aspects, the target range shown in Fig. r1 includes a suitable housing or hood I0 provided with inwardly sloping sidewall portions I I converging toward the back of the range in which there is situated Athe target panel I2. At the front of the range there is provided a table portion I3 -upon which the aiming device or gun I4 is disposed when not in use;

Gun I4 is preferably an air gun adapted to shoot relatively small pellets or BB` shot, a gun suitable for use in the novel arrangement being described and claimed in my copending application, Serial No. 312,881, it being understood, however, that the novel target range apparatus is adapted for use with any type of projectile-firing gun.l The general description of the range is completed by pointing out that thetarget means consists of a plurality of target discs I5 which are automatically caused to roll down oppositely inclined runway meansfacross the panel I 2, the arrangement being such that whenever the marksman succeeds in striking one of the target discs vthe same will be violently dislodged from the runway to give a positive and novel indicationr of a hit, dislodged discs being collected and restored for reuse in the device.

As seen in Fig. 2, the target structure itself includes the panel I2 mounted at an inclination of approximately seventy degrees to the horizontal (Fig.v 3 also), and A'mounted on the front face of this panel are the several runway strips I6, the saine being preferably constructed ofmetal and fof'a width greater than the widthof the metallic targetdiscs I5 (Fig. 4). `The runway strips are-secured to the panel by means such as the vscrews Ilia, and between the panel and the runway strips is'positioned'av metal backing plate I2a, and in addition there'is disposed between each runway strip I6 and the metal backing plate I2a, ya vledge strip I'I having an upper portion I'Ia extending above'the runwaylevel of strip I6 so as to space the target discs I5 from the metal backing plate toreduce friction during gravitating movement alongy the several runways.

'Ihe ledge strips I1, and particularly the upper vportions Ila` thereof, have an additional important function in that they greatly enhance the reaction of 'the'discs I5.in leaving the runvwayfwhen struckbyapellet, especially at levels above the top edges of the ledge portions I'Ia.

The upper end portion I6b of the first runway terminates opposite a feeding or loading opening I8 in a sidewall member I9 of the target panel, and the lower end I6c of this portion of the runway terminates above the upwardly curved upper end portion Id of the next lowest runway strip, there being any number of these intermediate strips dependent upon the size of the installation, and the lower end portion Ie of the lowermost strip terminating in space on the panel above a downwardly inclined collecting or return apron 20 (Fig. 3 also).

'Ihe lowermost edge portions of the apron are pitched downwardly as at Y2I to direct discs into a return channel 22, the bottom portion 23 of which is inclined from left to right (Fig. 2) across the target panel and leads 'into a discharge opening 24 in the side member I9 opposite a stacking device. The arrangement, as illustrated in Fig. '3, is such that the discs I5, when struck by a pellet, are violently dislodged from the runway I6 and follow variously the dotted-line movements until they fall upon the downwardly inclined apron from which they are gravitated into the return runway 22 for delivery to the stacking and return feed means.

The return stacking and feeding means is generally indicated at 25 in Fig. 2 and includes, as shown in the sectional View of Fig. 6, a troughshaped structure 25 situated at the end ofthe exit 24, the member 2li having a downwardly pitched upper face 2l (Fig. 5), the lowermost edge portion of which is opposite a face of a feeding belt 28, the arrangement being such `that the discs I in emerging from the return runway exit 24, drop into the yoke portion 26a of the member 2E and are gravitated by the downwardly inclined face portion 21 thereof to lie against the lower portion of the belt 28, there being room enough in the stacking means to accommodate a plurality, for example, four, of the discs l5, stacked one against the other in the manner illustrated in Fig. 5.

Means for restoring the target discs to the upper reaches of the runway includes the belt 28 mounted as aforesaid to be trained over pulleys 29 by a motor 3l) provided with suitable speedreducing means 3I, there being a plurality vof cleats or target engaging means 32 xed to the outer face of the conveyor web or belt 28, which is trained in a clockwise direction, as seen in Figs. 2 and 5, to move the cleats around and up beneath the lowermost target disc I5a of the stack as said disc bears against the face of the web, the cleats 32 being thin enough so that they will pick up only one disc, the inclination of the web '28 being adequate to permit the disc to rest with its face thereagainst for transport to a position opposite the feeding or loading opening I8, and the individual cleats 32 being pitched toward the opening I8 so that as the conveyor web moves upwardly, the left-hand edge of the disc will ride against the sidewall member I3 until the disc is brought opposite loading opening I8, whereupon the disc will gravitate onto the vupper end portion IIb of the upper run of the runway structure and begin its downward movement.

A feature of the invention resides in the fact that the feeding means, and particularly by spacing'ofthe cleats 32 and regulation of'the speed of the belt, may be made to release the target discs'in such manner that there will be a disc on each runway section I6 during a given period .in whch.the.marksman may shoot atallof the discs and make a score, the reward value of which is predicated, for example, .upon the order in which he dislodges the discs from their respective runway sections during this period.

It will be apparent that the feeding mechanism may be adjusted to permit the discs to traverse the entire runway system one at a time or in close succession, and that the discs may be colored or otherwise identied to set up variable scoring arrangements depending upon the order in which they are fed onto the runways and the order inwhich they may be struck during travversal of the runways, it being apparent that individually colored or identified discs may be interchanged in the order in which they will be stacked in the feeding means in a manner dependent upon the order in which they are struck and dislodged from the runways, so that a variety of combinations is possible. Other specific arrangements of this sort will occur to those skilled in the art. Y

In the operation of the device of Fig. l, the gun I4 may be considered as of the repeating variety, loaded with a predetermined number of shot, and the motor means 30 may be considered to be set into operation by closing of switch means 35 conveniently situated on the range structure so that the target discs I5 will be elevated by the upwardly moving cleats 32 for release in succession to traverse the runways I6 at a'rate which will enable the marksman to train the gun thereon, each disc which is struck being dislodged from the runway and returned by the means 20-22--23 to the stacking yoke 26 at the bottom of the elevating or feeding device. A large number of shot will also find their way into the return runway 22 and gravitate with the discsinto the stacking means, and in order to remove the shot, the yoke structure 26 is provided with a grooved or relieved portion 26a (Figs. 5 and 6) which permits the shot to roll beneath the stacked discs and into some form of collecting receptacle.

The various advantages and objects of the invention may be accomplished by modifications of the particular embodiment specifically described herein, and it is intended that the appended claims shall include all equivalent arrangements fairly coming within their call.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a target range, a series of alternately inclined superposed runways down which a target elementV may roll, means for collecting target elements from the lowermost runway and elevating the same onto the topmost runway, and means providing a ledge above the rolling surface on each runway and against which a side of the target element may bear in passing down the runways.

2. A target device comprising, in combination, a backing member in a plane at an inclination to the horizontal, a plurality of oppositely inclined runways on said backing member and adapted to guide a rolling target element in gravitating movement from the topmost to the lower most runway back and forth across an aiming range, and ledge means extending above the rolling surface on each runway for spacing the target element from said backing member during movement down the runways.

3. A target apparatus comprising, in combination, a backing member tilted from the vertical, a plurality of alternately inclined runway strips on the backing member and adapted to guide a rolling target element for gravitating movementl from the topmost to the lowermost strip, eachy vrunway strip being provided with a spacing member extending above the rolling surface thereon to space said target elements from said backing member during movement down the runway strips, said target elements being dislodged from said strips by engagement therewith of a projectile, means for stacking target elements in a region adjoining the lowermost runway strip, and means for guiding target elements dislodged from said strips or gravitating from the lowermost strip into operative engagement with said stacking means, and mechanism for removing target elements one at a time from stacked condition by said stacking means to the uppermost runway strip for gravitation as aforesaid.

4. Target apparatus comprising, in combination, an inclined back stop, a plurality of alternately inclined runway strips on said back stop with the lower end of one terminating above the upper end of another to guide a target disc in rolling movement from the upper end of the uppermost runway strip off the lower end of the lowermost strip, meansfor spacing a target disc from said back stop during rolling movement as aforesaid, the discs being adapted to be dislodged from the strips when struck `by a missile, -a return runway beneath the lowermost runway strip and adapted to gravitate a disc-into a feeding position, said runway being positioned to receive a disc gravitating off` the lowermost strip, means for receiving discs dislodged by missiles as aforesaid and guiding the same into said runway, and means for transporting said discs from said feeding position onto the upper portions of the uppermost strip for gravitating movement down the strips as aforesaid.

5. Target apparatus comprising, in combination, 'an inclined back stop, a plurality of alternately inclined runway strips on said back stop with the lower end of one terminating above the upper end of another to guide a target disc in rolling movement from the upper end of the uppermost runway strip off the lower end of the lowermost strip, ledge means `disposed above the rolling surface of the strips for spacing upper portions. of the target disc from said back stop during rolling vmovement as aforesaid, the discs being adapted to be dislodged from the strips when struck by a missile, a return runway bey aforesaid.

ing the same into said runway, and means for transporting said discs from said feeding position onto the upper portionsl of the uppermost strip for gravitating `movement down thestrips as 6. Target apparatus comprising, in combination, an inclined back stop, a plurality of alternately inclined runway strips on said back stop with the lowerend of one terminating above the upperend of another to guide a target disc in rolling movement from the upper end of the up- -permost runway stripI oif the lower end of the lowermost strip, means for spacing a target-disc from said back stop during rolling movement as aforesaid, the discs being adapted toy be dislodged from the strips when struck by a missile, a return runway beneath the lowermost runway strip.

and adapted to gravitate a disc into a feeding -of the uppermost runway strip, said disc engaging means being inclined toward the uppermost runway strip, whereby a disc may be gravitated onto said uppermost strip when elevated opposite thereto, and means for maintaining Aa disc `in engagement with said disc engaging means until the disc is elevated as aforesaid.

7. In a target device of the class described including a back stop mounted at an inclinationV to the horizontal and a downwardly inclined runway strip on said back stop and down which a target disc is adapted to roll across an aiming range, the combinationwith said strip of spacing means extending above the rolling surface thereof to maintain the major upper portions of the disc in spaced relation to said back stop in rolling'down the strip, said discs being adapted to be dislodged from the strip by reaction with said spacing means when struck byv a missile.

E'VERETT LESLIE DREYER. 

